File extension MOV is most commonly
associated with a QuickTime Video Clip, a multimedia container file format
developed by Apple. MOV files use a proprietary compression algorithm, and are
compatible on both Windows and Mac platforms. Though much less common, the MOV
file extension is also used to denote an AutoCAD AutoFLIX animation movie.

QuickTime MOV files are capable of storing
two or more tracks, which can be audio, video, text, graphics or effects,
making them suitable for a wide variety of applications, including video
editing. Each track comprises either of an encoded media stream or a reference
to a media stream located in another file, which allows the embedding of
existing media.

AutoFLIX MOV files are used to store animations
and basic presentations, and are essentially a sequential list of commands that
are run in the AutoCAD editor in order to display an animated sequence. AutoFLIX
was developed to take advantage of the 3D functionality of AutoCAD Release 10,
which was released in 1988. Full 3D rendering was also possible with the
addition of AutoSHADE.

QuickTime Player can be used to open and
play back existing QuickTime MOV files, whilst QuickTime Pro can be used to
edit and export MOV files. QuickTime Pro also allows MOV files on the web to be
saved locally, a feature not always available with the basic QuickTime Player. QuickTime
Alternative is a codec pack developed by a third party which allows MOV files
to be played in other media playing software such as Media Player Classic.
However, as this is not licensed by Apple, it is possible that not all of the
features of MOV files are supported.

AutoFLIX MOV files can be opened using
either AutoFLIX and AutoCAD, or the AFEGA presentation program, both of which
require a DOS platform or emulator to run on.

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